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Ever see a tilting three-wheeled V-Max?
The Yamaha V-Max is pretty much a two-wheeled muscle car, and many people have had a hard time keeping them on two wheels. Solution: add another wheel? Sure, according to Tilting Motor Works. Starting with Legos before moving on to something more substantial, Bob Mighell designed a new front end for the Yamaha V-Max, one that is capable of leaning into corners but offering more grip for cornering and braking purposes. Removing the front forks and tightening eight bolts will transform your bike into a really big Piaggio MP3. Whether that is a good thing or not is up to you.
Speaking of the MP3, that and concepts such as the Yamaha Tesseract prove that people are thinking of making the single-track of the motorcycle into a dual or triple-track. If it allows people who'd like to ride the chance to do so, we're all for it.
[Source: Tilting Motor Works via Bikes In The Fast Lane]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Brent 8:36PM (12/03/2007)
It is a ghetto version of the Can-Am Spyder.
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mk 9:07PM (12/03/2007)
Nicely well designed and home built does not equal ghetto. Some of the coolest things come out of inventive minds of people, and the garages they own.
With a few dimensional changes, and a custom space-frame, this could lead to a kit version of something like the Aprilia Magnet concept.
talk about a road-jet... mind-gears spinning already!
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AlfaMike 9:05PM (12/03/2007)
Isn't it counterintuitive to have the two wheels up front? Why not have one wheel up front, and the two wheels in back for added stability? I know this is not a new idea, aren't those things called Trikes? Seems like the better way to do it.
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mk 9:28PM (12/03/2007)
two rear wheels and one front creates a trike that does not lean, and you have to handle a differential.
One rear wheel is direct drive, with less driveline loss.
one front wheel would make a motorcycle, which we all know.
Two front wheels on a parallelogram suspension creates better front end traction, especially for braking, and maintains the leaning effect of a motorcycle with more contact patch, and forward weight bias. (rear weight is centered on one tire, so there is still a fair amount of traction)
I am not saying that three wheelers like this should replace bikes, but it is an interesting niche.
I just wonder if it is better to sit on with feet under (like this V-max), sit in with feet forward, and rear end down (like the Aprilia Magnet concept), or head and hands forward, with feet under and back, more like a sportbike...
Rear-mid engine driving the rear wheel, or traditional motorcycle arrangement... both could be cool.
ckm 9:23PM (12/03/2007)
If you do that, braking and turning will result in a rollover. That's why you don't see any trike off-roaders, they are all quads.
Chris.
Tull 9:25PM (12/03/2007)
You do see trike offroaders. The 3 wheelers of old. They were just outlawed because how dangerous they were.
AltairDusk 9:49PM (12/03/2007)
Yup some of the trike ATV's are still around, I've flipped ours over a few times, luckily at lower speeds ;)
AlfaMike 10:03PM (12/03/2007)
I guess I'm still confused as to why they couldn't use the same suspension setup with the two rear wheels as they do here with the two front ones, for turning and breaking.
It seems that the problem is how sophisticated the suspension setup is, not where the wheels are.
tankd0g 1:10PM (12/04/2007)
somewhat impossible if oyu plan is to sell these kits aftermaret for existing bikes. Also you can't lean a rear wheeled trike so it's essentially a car with bad handling.
Lachlan Creamer 10:11PM (12/03/2007)
This may be more powerful, but the best 3 wheeler is the Vanderbrink Carver.
If you have not seen it look it up, Top Gear did a segment on it, they loved it.
Also how much will this cost anyone know?
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mark_welby 8:31AM (12/04/2007)
Some of the most horrendous contraptions made are based on motorcycles, I swear. But since some people physically can't ride a normal bike, it's good that they have the option of something like this or a trike. Me, personally; if I'm physically limited and want that open air sensation, I'd just buy a convertible or another Jeep and pull the doors off of it rather than sling a leg over such an ugly contraption
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mk 12:11PM (12/04/2007)
I don't know that this is a limited mobility appliance attachment for a motorcycle. I think it is merely an alternative that someone wanted to try out.
And not only that, but I would think that this thing would be much harder (but probably still possible) to high-side or low-side than a traditional motorcycle.
It also probably would not fall over and be nearly impossible to lift back up by one's self, like a full-dress bike.
It isn't being pitched as better than two wheels, but a niche alternative.
I do think it would be far better to custom-build a frame and make a purpose-built three wheeled vehicle, with motorcycle power, rather than just fitting this front end to an otherwise normal bike.
But fitting it to a normal bike does offer the opportunity to test it and prove the system, without the added complexity of a custom vehicle.
I'd love to see this adapted to a custom vehicle, where you sit in it, with a motorcycle engine behind your back, driving the rear wheel. and the foot controls are forward, near the front suspension. Much like the Aprilia Magnet concept.
Powered by the R1200S HP2's boxer DOHC engine, (nice low center of gravity, and I love boxer engines...) electro-mechanically shifted 6-speed, and shaft drive, and ohlins suspension... That could be very cool. albeit longer and lower than a motorcycle. Kind of a cross between a three-wheeled bike and an even-smaller, one-seat ariel atom-like vehicle. With hand and foot controls like a cross-breed between a bike and a car.
tankd0g 1:10PM (12/04/2007)
A kit like this for existing bikes is a great idea. The three wheeled maket is starting to pick up amoung the aging riders. Harley is working on a trike and you can already have one from speciality companies based on a Goldwing or Roadking, but not everone wants a bike that big.
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El in AZ 1:45PM (12/04/2007)
Quoting mk:
> It also probably would not fall
> over and be nearly impossible
> to lift back up by one's self,
> like a full-dress bike.
Any motorcyclist worth his or her salt knows it's possible for just about any rider to pick up just about any bike using the proper technique.
A 120-pound woman can right a Gold Wing with the proper technique.
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